Spur-Thigh tortoise foods

[Ethelthetortoise]

Hello!
I have just got a Spur-thigh tortoise, I have been following the Diet Sheet from the pet shop which says read/ask around. I can't find a list of food that's gonna be ok. So any suggestions? So far I have only feed it Rocket Salad.

 

[DeanS]

Congratulations and welcome...pictures please?!?! The important thing up front is whether you have a spur-thigh (Testudo graeca) or an African Spurred Tortoise (Geochelone sulcata)...several people make the mistake of referring to sulcatas as spur-thighs and that's a HUGE mistake...as spur-thighs come from the Mediterranean and spurreds come from the Sahara. Now, the spur-thigh is gonna be a small animal and never get real big, whereas the spurred will likely be upwards of 2-3 feet long and weigh well over 100 pounds (with 200 pound specimens not uncommon). If you have a decent yard (grass, weeds, etc (and they're pesticide free) your diet is mostly taken care of. If it doesn't take to your lawn right away, then go to the market and purchase bagged salads (Santa Barbara Mix is the best...Spring Mix is a good second choice). If you don't see either then purchase endive/escarole from your produce section and start with that...watercress is a good idea too...stay away from fruits and vegetables...as they are really only treats...but serve no purpose in a torts diet. You can also add some Mazuri tortoise diet every few days (moistened). Also, make every attempt to keep your tort hot and humid...read the following link...probably the most important thread on the forum...

http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding

also a good link for Mazuri...

http://spikethebest.weebly.com/mazuri-tortoise-food.html

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ethelthetortoise:

Welcome to the forum!!

Because you've referred to your food as "rocket salad," I'm assuming that you are in the U.K.? And that probably also means that your "spur-thigh" tortoise is a Greek? I'm making a lot of assumptions here, sorry if I'm incorrect.

You can add some weeds to your rocket mix. Anything like dandelion, fillaree, etc. You can also add some dark, leafy greens to the rocket, like turnip greens, escarole, endive, etc.